Janice H.

A high school junior decides her science experiment will be to live as early hominins did - no technology (cars, cell phones, etc.) and eating mainly fruites, veggies, nuts, etc. Quite a challenge for a teen addicted to caffeine and junk food, but this science geek is determined to outshine her rival. A fastpaced, interesting read.Janice, Youth Services

A married couple who normally go on vacation during Christmas are forced to spend it with their families. I enjoyed that it wasn't as predictable as most movies - an entertaining comedy.Janice, Youth Services

This is another cross-over group/album that I’ve been enjoying. I’ve never been a big country fan but I’ve been enjoying talented artists that can bridge between country and pop/rock – Rascal Flatts, Taylor Swift and now Lady Antebellum. You might recognize their hit single, “Need You Now". I’ve been enjoying the whole album – hope you do too!

A fun chick-lit for teen girls...
Two girls (self-proclaimed as geeks), decide to try-out for the high school cheerleading squad and throw the school's social hierarchy a little haywire. They had no idea cheering & carrying pom-poms would cause such an upset among the geeks and the jocks. A fun and entertaining story.

Everyone age 15 and older disappears one day - out of nowhere - they poof... leaving a new world filled with kids 14 and under to fend for themselves. But that's not the only strangeness going on... some of them have developed special powers. And everyone's taking sides. An adventure-filled page-turner.

"LOST" meets "Heroes" If you liked the Hunger Games, try this one. First book in a planned series of six.

This story grabs you from the very beginning and doesn't let you go until the end. A fantasy page-turner filled with lots of action, sword fights, Greek Gods, and even a betrayal. The story of a boy who find out he's a "half-blood" (his mother was mortal but his father apparently wasn't) and the quest he goes on to save the world.

Not a "new" book or series but one I finally got around to starting and it was worth it!

The Cahills are the most powerful family the world has ever known. Grace Cahill, the matriarch of the family, left a challenge in her will for her surviving relatives. They can either take one million dollars or the first in a series of Clues that will reveal the source of the family’s power. It’s Cahill vs. Cahill in a race to beat the competition and be the first to assemble all 39 Clues. Read The 39 Clues books to follow fourteen-year-old Amy Cahill and her eleven-year-old brother Dan as they travel the world to hunt for the Clues.” - Scholastic (www.the39clues.com)

I read the first book, The Maze of Bones and just loved it. I can’t wait to read the rest of the series. It’s an action-packed scavenger hunt and full of lots of obstacles – bombs, poison, and lots of mind-bending puzzles.

I really enjoyed this story – I had a hard time putting it down. It features a teenage girl who has the gift of “Sight” which means she can see the other world of fairies. Her grandmother has always warned her to stay away from them and she has - she’s always ignored them (even when they’re right in front of her) but suddenly two fairies begin to pay more attention to just her and start following her around. She notices other fairies looking at her differently and hears their whispers of her being “the one”. She needs to figure out what’s going on & quick - before her Grandmother locks her in the house and never lets her out.

If you liked Twilight, I would definitely recommend Wicked Lovely – it has fantasy, romance, and a bit of fairy tale – for Teens and “young at heart” adults.

Not yet having a newborn nor knowing that much about babies - I found this book fascinating. The author describes what she feels is the best way to adjust to a newborn in the home and how to go about this transition. Instead of the parents completely 100% catering to the baby or the baby completely going with the parents' schedule/life, she suggests more of a compromise and talks about mutual respect for both sides. She has a system that sounds easy to follow and adjust to your life. Five different personality types of babies are discussed including how to identify which one your baby is, how to comfort and soothe each type and what each type needs. I'm looking forward to implementing some of her strategies into my life when I get there. Right now it all sounds like information I will use or at least have in the back of my head when I go through this adjustment period.

As an expectant mother, I am trying to read and gather information about being a parent before I have a crying newborn on my hands (and probably very little time to myself to read). The title of this one sounded great and right up my alley - I don't know that much about newborns, sippy cups, car seats and so on. While I found this book to contain some helpful information, I wouldn't say it was "the book" best suited for the subject but I very much enjoyed the author's humor and the humorous way she handled situations and told personal stories - I even found myself laughing out loud several times. So if you're in the stage of your life that I'm in, I would recommend this book